Museum sights in Bologna
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A
Teatro Anatomico
Housed in Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio, the fascinating 17th-century Teatro Anatomico is where public body dissections were held under the sinister gaze of an Inquisition priest, ready to intervene if proceedings became too spiritually compromising. Cedar-wood tiered seats surround a central marble-topped table while a sculptured Apollo looks down from the ceiling. The canopy above the lecturer’s chair is supported by two skinless figures carved into the wood. The theatre, and many of the building’s frescoes, was destroyed during WWII and subsequently rebuilt.
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B
Museo Morandi
On the 2nd floor of Palazzo Comunale you'll find the art gallery Museo Morandi which is dedicated to the trademark still lives of Bolognese artist Giorgio Morandi.
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C
Oratorio di Santa Cecilia
Lorenzo Costa and Francesco Raibolini (known as Il Francia) were mainly responsible for the magnificent 16th-century frescoes in the Oratorio di Santa Cecilia, one of Bologna’s unsung gems. Depicting the life and Technicolor death of St Cecilia and her husband Valeriano, they are in remarkably good nick, their colours vibrant and their imagery bold and unabashed.
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D
Chiesa di San Giacomo Maggiore
To the north of Basilica di Santo Stefano, along Via Zamboni, the 13th-century Chiesa di San Giacomo Maggiore houses a noteworthy collection of paintings and artefacts. The highlight is the Bentivoglio chapel with frescoes by Lorenzo Costa and an altarpiece by Francesco Raibolini (known as Il Francia).
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E
Palazzo Poggi
At the university museums at Palazzo Poggi you can peruse waxwork uteri in the Obstetrics Museum and giant tortoise shells in the Museum of Natural Sciences. Further surprises are to be found in museums dedicated to ships and old maps, military architecture and physics.
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F
Museo Civico Archeologico
Running south off Piazza Maggiore, Via dell’Archiginnasio leads to the Museo Civico Archeologico with its well-documented Egyptian and Roman artefacts and one of Italy’s best Etruscan collections.
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